Means for conditioning filamentary material



' Aug. 24, 1948. H, P, F Y, JR" Em 2,447,977

MEANS FOR CONDITIONING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL Filqgi-April 24, 1945 WVVENTORS Patented Aug. 24, 1948 MEANS FOR CONDITIONING FILALIENTARY i MATERIAL Horace P. Fry, Jr., Swarthmore. Richard W. Stanley, Drexel Hill, and Henry J. McDermott, Prospect Park, Pa., assignors to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application April 24, 1945, Serial No. 590,078

- Claims.

This invention relates to means for removing excess liquid from continuously traveling liquid laden filamentary material of indefinite length. It is the object of the invention to provide means for removing excess liquid from artificial filamentary material advancing from one liquid treating zone to another, or from a liquid treating zone to a drying device or a'wind-iip device. It is also the object of the invention to provide means for controlling the residual liquid on the filamentary material and insuring uniform distribution thereof over each succeeding portion along the length of the material. The treating liquid may be applied to the material either during the course of manufacture thereof as in the manufacture of artificial filaments from viscose, cuprammonium solutions, protein solutions, resin ,solutions, etc., or it may beapplied to the filaments, whether natural or artificial, to better prepare them for textile processing, such as knitting, weaving, and like operations. The treating liquid may be a desulfurizing, bleaching, washing or other medium, as in the case of filaments manufactured from viscose, or it may be any other suitable liquid. For instance, it may be a soft finishing agent, a soap solution, a lubricant, or the like.

In its broader aspects, the invention comprises a thread guide disposed in the path of the material advancing from the liquid treating stage and which at least partially surrounds succeeding portions of the traveling material, and means for moving the guide at high speed transversely of the direction oftravel of the material through the guide and for a maximum .limited distance on either side of the traveling material. Any ex- 1 having a longitudinal slot 8 therein which accommodates an eccentric 9. Eccentric 9 is held in cess treating liquid clinging to the material is shaken offduring its passage through the moving guide and means may be provided for collecting the liquid thus shed and forwarding it to a waste disposal system; a regenerating system or for reuse in treating further lengths of material,

The accompanying drawing illustrates several embodiments of the invention. In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one type of apparatus according to the invention:

Figure 2 is a top view of the in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of anothenembodiapparatus shown ment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the filamentary material 2, which is advancing from a liquid treating zone (not shown) is guided by guide roll a bushing ill in which is also held the driving shaft ll of a motor l2. The motor is secured by bolts 13 to a bracket I4 which is in turn secured by bolts Hi to a support IS. A pivot pin ll extends through one end of bracket [4, bushing I8 and rod'l. being secured by a cotter pin l9. When motor I2 is operated, a high speed oscillatory motion is imparted to rod 6. Of course, the movement may be imparted to the guide by means other than the motor l2, as by means of a solenoid or air-actuated piston, for instance. Guiding fork 5 is thus actuatedby a continuous high speed oscillating movement which has a maximum limited distance on either side of the path of the filamentary material traveling through the guide, and the'excess liquid carried by the filamentary material 2, passing between the prongs of the fork, is shaken off the material into guard 4. The guard terminatesat its lower end in a collecting gutter or trough 20 which prevents the liquid from contacting the material discharging from the guard. A drain pipe 21 is provided for continuously draining off the liquid from the vicinity of th filamentary material. The filamentary material, from whichthe excess liquid has been removed by the action of the oscillating guiding fork, is guided, by guide roll 22, to a drying device or wind-up mechanism or to a further liquid treating stage.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the filamentary material 23, advancing from a liquid treating stage (not shown) is directed into the mouth of a funnel 24 having an elongated tube portion 25. The tube portion has an elbow bend therein, and extends through a guard 26, projecting out through the bottom of the guard. The upper portion of the funnel is held in a bearing 21 on a support 28, and the lower portion, projecting below the guard is held in a bearing 29 on a support 30.

The funnel is rotated continuously and at high speed by a pulley 31 having a belt 32 connected with suitable driving means (not shown). Due to the elbow bend in the tube portions of the funnel, the tube is whipped about. as it rotates,

and the excess liquid carried by the filamentary .material advancing through the tube is shaken off and escapes through a hole 33 in the side of the funnel tube to the interior of guard 26. The guard terminates at its lower end in a collecting trough or gutter 34 which prevents the liquid from escaping to the exterior of the guard through the outlet for the funnel tube, so that the liquid cannotagain contact the filamentary material. The liquid is continuously drained oi! iromthe interior of the guard by a pipe 35. The filamentary material leaving the funnel is directed to a wind-up device, drying device, or to a further liquid treating stage.

Any number of treating liquids may be applied to the filamentary material, and the excess liquid may be shaken off after each liquid application and prior to impregnating the material with another and different liquid. Liquid-laden filamentary material which. is assed through a guide moving at high speed transversely of the direction of travel of the material through the guide, and for a maximum limited distance on either side of the traveling material in accordance with this invention, is freed from excess liquid clinging thereto and carries a residual amount of liquid which is substantially constant for each succeeding portion along the length of the material.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in terms of specific embodiments thereof, it will be readily apparent that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Means for conditioning continuously traveling liquid-laden filamentary material of indefinite length comprising means for continuously advancing the material in a predetermined path, a guide which at least partially surrounds succeeding portions of the material disposed in the path of the material and toward which the material advances in a substantially straight undeviating path and away from whichthe material proceeds in a substantially straight undeviating path, means for continuously moving the guide transversely of the direction of travel of the material in a path having a maximum limit on either side of the path of the material traveling through the guide to shake excess liquid ofi the material as it travels through the guide, and a guard at least partially surrounding the guide and terminating at its lower end in a collecting gutter for collecting the liquid shaken oil the materiaL,

2. Means for conditioning continuously traveling liquid-laden filamentary material of indefinite length comprising means for continuously advancing the material downwardly in, a predetermined path, a guide which at least partially surrounds succeeding portions of the material disposed in the path of the material and toward which the material advances in a substantially straight undeviating path and away from which the material proceeds in a substantially straight undeviating path, means for continuously moving the guide transversely of the direction of travel of the material in a path having a maximum limit on either side of the path of the material traveling through the guide to shake excess liquid off the material as it travels through the guide, and a guard at least partially surrounding the guide and terminating at its lower end in a collecting gutter for collecting the liquid shaken on the material.

3. Means for conditioning continuously traveling liquid-laden filamentarymaterial of indefinite length comprising means for continuously advancing the filamentary material in a predetermined path, a guiding fork disposed in the path of the material so that the material passes between the prongs thereof and toward which the material advances in a substantially straight undeviating path and away from which the material proceeds in a substantially straight undeviating path, means for continuously oscillating the fork in a path having a maximum limit on either side oi the path of the material to shake excess liquid on the material as it travels between the prongs, and a guard surrounding the fork and terminating at its lower end in a collecting gutter for collecting the liquid shaken on the material.

4. Means for conditioning continuously traveling liquid-laden filamentary material of indefinite length comprising means for continuously advancing the material in a predetermined path, a funnel having an elbow bend in the tube portion thereof disposed in the path of the material and toward which the material advances in a substantially straight undeviating path and.away from which the material proceeds in a substantially straight undeviating path, a liquid escape outlet in the bent portion or the tube, means for continuously rotating the funnel as the filamentary material passes therethrough to shake oif excess liquid from the material, and a guard at least partially surrounding the funnel and terminating at its lower end in a collecting gutter for collecting excess liquid shaken off the material.

5. Means for conditioning continuously traveling liquid-laden filamentary material of indefinite length comprising means for continuously advancing the material downwardly in a predetermined path, a guide which at least partially surrounds succeeding portions of the material disposed in the path of the, material and toward which the material advances in -a substantially straight undeviating path and awayfrom which the material proceeds in a substantially straight undeviating path, means for continuously moving the guide transversely of the direction of travel of the material in a path having a maximum limit on either side of the path of the material traveling through the guide to shake excess liquid oflf the material as it travels through the guide, a guard at least partially surrounding the guide and terminating at its lower end in a collecting gutter for collecting the liquid shaken oil? the material, and means for continuously withdrawing the excess liquid shaken oil the material from the guard and from the vicinity oi the filamentary material.

HORACE P. FRY, JR.

RICHARD W. STANLEY. HENRY J. MCDERMOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 485,694 Haskell Nov. 8, 1892 1,878,374 Brenzinger Sept. 20, 1932 2,264,207 Hurxthal et a1 Nov. 25, 1941 2,336,019 Kline Dec. 7, 1943 2,340,577 Bradshaw Feb. 1, 1944 

